Courts in Jammu and Kashmir have been connected with jails through video-conferencing

To expedite the process of disposal of cases, courts in Jammu and Kashmir have been connected with jails through video-conferencing. The facility was inaugurated by Jammu and Kashmir High Court justices Alok Aradhe and Ali Muhammad Magrey from the district court complexes in Jammu and Sringar respectively. Aradhe is the chairperson of the computer and e-courts (e-governance) committee while Magrey is the panel's member. The inauguration was attended by DGP (Prisons) Dilbagh Singh, Commissioner Secretary Home R K Goyal, Secretary Information Technology Saughat Biswas, and other officers of the state administration, prisons department and judiciary.

Highlighting its importance, Aradhe said it will minimise the security risk attached with the production of accused before courts. Video-conferencing will be used in recording statements of witnesses during the trial who have difficulty in attending the courts, he said. Terming it an important step in the speedy delivery of justice, Magrey said that video-conferencing will be used for extending judicial remands of accused before or during trial without producing the under trial prisoners before courts. This will not only save time of courts but it will also save resources of the state which are being spent in producing an accused or under-trial prisoners before courts, he said during an interaction with jail authorities and judicial officers of Srinagar and Jammu. He said the judiciary in the state is fast adopting information technology in judicial processes to provide cost-effective and expeditious services to litigants.

Magrey said stakeholders will be able to avail services such as case status, details and list, and short orders through internet or through information kiosks. The kiosks have been set up in various courts across the state. He also said that that video-conferencing facility will also be used in recording statements of specialist witnesses like doctors, forensic experts and others.